Vehicle bumper



June 23, 1931. A. A. THOMAS J 1,811,569

" VEHIELE BUMPER I Filed A il 16, 1930 1 NVENTOR wwak 1: 1 vides a strong Patented June 23, 1 931 7 A i -T3 1 4 V (VEHICLE Application filed April 16,

. invention is it'or'a'n automobile huinpr in which-Earl elastic element'arranged transversely of the car-is expanded to take up the shockof an impact; This elastic" element I; may be a; eoil spring or a ubb I- bar connected tofa paiifl of pivotedlevers diverging out-j wardly'. An impact member is slidably conneeted to the outer "ends of thediverging levers, whereby the latter-are "spread: apart and expand'the, spring when'theimpact memher strikes an obstruction; flheexpansion of the transverse i spring absorbs; the force of the head-on. impact hjfltranslating it cross- Wise lo'f ther c'ar. The bumper struoture he a whole is verylsiinpleand compact, requiring only a few ruggedparts' which are ehejap to" m e-a d s y 'a 'mble T pr i al advantages and n'ovel features of my invention will be'understood from a description-of h ae m yi i d a n lin' h v Fig. 'lfshows mynewhurnper in plan ;V18W;

secured ;to the :fr ontJof -an; automobile, the

movablei parts being ingnorrnal position Fig. .2 ShOWShOWthe diver'glnglevers are spread and "the spring is' ex panded when the bumper bar strikes an obstruction F 1 iSTJaII e a ed; e t on 7 11 B 3-? of Fig.2; f Fig; 4 is anl r e Sec ion o 1 n e .i' of Fig l; I

The chassis ofaiitoniohile lO has thiusui extensions "12' which are oonnected 3; bar 13. f fTwo blo'eks 14 are -,m oun.ted on bar '13 near extensions 12, andfeach'fblok has' 'a n:

arm Q 'braoke't 15 -j secured to the adjacent extension by] rivets; 16 or otherwise., The

parts 14:; and 15 maybe a single oa'stingiof suitable. metal Each blookl l lcarriesa pair Vertically a gn b lt 01 1 P Ydt Pin 7 w i pp r e pa rvo 'ie t' e y ive n 'levers18. These levers;areiprfeferably'ehannel-shaped in cross seotion,i and the flanges 18 of each lever; overlap the associatedhlock 14 forreceiving the :pivot 'pins 17.] This propivotal support for, levers 18 as will helunderstoo'd froin ilr, i The levers 18,7'are preferably shaped to diverge outwardly in substantially continuous,

curves, and theirouter eiidsfcmrry bolts or,

Pie s sipeein beer k e qwhereby: the bumper 'bar and levers :18 are slidably eonneoted. In the presentinst ance 55 the bumper har:20 is shown straight, but. it v mayhe curved desired. A coilspning 22 or; other elastic element,:;si1 oh "21s a solid bar of india, rubber, is connected at it's'fiends' to levers 18 anywpractic al way. For illus tration I have shown a pair of eyesf23flsecuredto levers 18 for re'ceiving'hook's 245th tachedf to, the ends, of the" spring, which is arranged crosswise; 9f the ear substantially parallelwithbumpeii bar20. This parallel arrangement of. parts 203ml 22 is maintained even when the diverging-levers 18 are spread underthe force .ofan impact. V 5 The lelas tio element' 22 f is 'normallj tem sioned to a predetermined extent and; holds 79 the bolts 19 against, the inner ends 21 of slots 21; 'l/Vhen the bumper hair 20 strikes an obstruction, the inward movement of the bar spreads the outermends of lever 18' farther apart, so that the spring22isexpandedand 5 takes up the shock of the collision. The parts of the bumper structure are so designed that theexpanding spring 22 isleapable of absorbingappredetermined maximum force. 1 Thelength of slots 21 issuflieient to allowa maximum expansion. ofooilspring orrubberlbar I. have not endeavored to show the rela tive proportionsof the parts with mather; matical exactness, for' various makesend sizes of cars will naturally require changes: int-he design-and arrangement of. the ele-l ments that make up the bumper strueturehs alwhole, t I 1- 1 5? h I ,fl'nstead of using only one spring 22, I may employv two onmoreQsprings, respecially in bumpers for heavy earsftrucks, buses, vans V andi'other vehicles. :The spring 22 rnayrbe so designed and its initial tension so ealeulated that the expansion of the spring. will not be more than ten of twelve per cent'to take'up the maximum shofckllwhioh the .car is liable to-enco'unterl However, Imention these figuresfmerly byway of illustration and not 7 ma restrictivesense, Thepoint's at which the'efiee see-eeee -e1 r r will depend upon the strength of the spring, the

normal angle of the levers, the distance between pivot pins 17, and other factors that may come up in practice. It will be understood that the vehicle 10 in Fig. 1 represents any type, size or kind of vehicle to which my bumper may be attached. 7

Although I have shown and described a specific structure, I Want it understood that my invention is not limited to the details set forth, unless these are expressly included in the claims. Changes and modifications will probably be made by others without departing from the appended claims which define the scope of my invention.

I claim as my invention: I

1. A bumper structure for automobiles comprising a pair of outwardly diverging levers pivoted at their inner ends to the car, tensioned elastic means connected to said le ver's at points between theinner and outer ends of the levers, and abumper bar slidably connected to the outer ends of saidlevers, whereby the latter are spread apart to expand said elastic means when the bumper bar strikes an obstruction.

2. A bumper structure for automobiles comprising a pair of outwardly diverginglevers pivoted at their inner ends to the. car, a tensioned elastic element connected at its ends to said levers and arranged transversely of'the car, and a bumper bar havinga pin and-slot connection with said levers for spreading the same under theiforce of an impact, whereby said elastic element is ex panded to absorb the shock. p

3. A bumper structure for automobiles con'iprising a pair of outwardly dir' erging' lever's pivoted at their inner e'nds to the car, a" tensioned elastic element connected atits-ends to said levers and arranged transversely of the car, the length of said elastic element being greater than the distance between-the spaced pivots of said levers, and 'a' bumper bar arranged substantiallv parallel with said elastic element and adjustably connected with said levers, whereby the force of an impact on said bar spreads the diverging levers and expands the elastic element.-

4. A bumper structure for automobiles comprising a pair of levers pivoted at their inner ends to the car and diverging outwardly in substantially continuous curves, at tensioned coil spring connected at its ends to said levers and arranged transversely of th'e car, the length of said spring being greater than the distance between the spaced pivots of said levers, and a bumper bar slidably connected to the outer ends of said levers to spread the same apart under the force of an impact and thereby expand said spring.

5. A bumper structure" for automobiles comprising a pair of outwardly diverging levers pivoted at their inner ends to th'ecar, a tensioned elastic elementconnected at its ends to said levers and arranged transversely of the ear, and a bumper bar slidably connected to the outer ends of said levers to spread the same apart under the force of an impact and thereby expand said elastic element, the normal distance between the outer ends of said levers being not less than twice the distance between the pivoted inner ends of the levers.

A bumper structure vfor automobiles comprising a pair of outwardly diverging levers pivoted at their inner ends to the car, a pin or bolt carried by each lever near its outer end, a tensicned coil spring connected to said levers and arranged transversely of the car, and a'sub'stantially straight bumper bar having slots near its outer ends receiving ar- 1 bolts to permit spreading of the diverging levers under the force of an impact,

said bumper bar being substantially parallel with said elastic element which expands whenthe levers are spread apart.

7. A bumper structure fer automobiles comprising a pair of outwardly diverging levers pivoted at their inner ends tothe car, said levers being channelshaped pr sssection, a tensioned elastic element connected to said levers and arranged transversely or the car, and a channel-shaped bumper bar slidably connected toithe outer ends of said levers, whereby the latter are spread apart to expand said elastic; element when the bumper bar strike an obstruction, said slidable onnectioris in luding a air of belts or pinspas'sin'g' through the overlapping flanges of said bar and levers, one pair of said overlapping flanges havingslo ts for said bolts.

8. In an automobile having a pair of extensions on its chassis and a cross bar connecting said extensions, a pair of blocks mounted on said bar near said extensions and provided each with a' bracket secured to the adjacent extension, a air of channel-shaped levers pivoted at their inner ends" to said blocks and diverging, outwardly, the top and bottom flanges of each lever overlapping the supporting block to arm a double hinge connec tion', a bumper bar for spreading said levers apart under the force'otan impact, and elas tie mean eonaeereaw said levers and adapted to be expanded when the levers are spread.

9. In an automobile having a pair of extensions on its chassis and a cross bar conmeeting .said extensions, a pair of blocks mounted on saidyb'ar ,n'eai" said extensions and provided each with a bracket secured to the adjacent extension, a pair of cha nelshaped levers pivoted at their inner ends to said blocks and diverging outwardly, the pivotal connection of ea'clilever includingn pair of axially aligned bolts of pins 'mounted in the su'pportingblock and passing through the top and bottom flanges of the lever, a bumper bar for spreading said leversapart under the force of "an impact, and elastic means connected to said levers and adapted to be expanded when the levers are spread.

10. In an automobile having a pair of extensions on its chassis and a cross bar connecting said extensions, a pair of blocks mounted on said bar near said extensions and providedeach with a bracket secured to the adjacent extension, a pair of channelshaped levers pivoted at their inner ends to 10 said blocks and diverging outwardly, the

top and bottom flanges of each lever overlapping the supporting block to form a double hinge connection, a bumper bar slidably connected to the outer ends of said levers for 15 spreading the same apart under the force of an impact, and a tensioned elastic element connected to said levers and arranged transversely of the car, whereby said elasticelement exp-ands when the levers are spread.

21) 11. An automobile bumper structure c'om prising a pair of outwardly diverging levers pivoted at their inner ends to the car in predetermined spaced relation, a single elastic element connected at its ends to, said levers and a bumper bar slidably' connected to the outer ends of said levers, whereby the latter are'spread apart to'expand said elastic element when the bumper bar strikes an.ob-,

struction. I

so 12. In an automobile'having a pair of extensions on its chassis, a cross bar connecting said extensions, a pair ofblocks mounted on said bar near said extensions and provided each with a bracket secured to the adjacent at extension, anda bumper structure carried by said blocks. 13. In an automobile having a pair of extensions on its chassis, a cross bar connecting said extensions, a pair of blocks mounted on g said bar near said extensions and provided each with abracket secured to the adjacent extension, and'a bumper structure carried by said blocks, said bumper structure including a pair of diverging elements at- A5 tached to said blocks. ADOLPH A; THOMAS.

till 

